U.S. patent application number 14/519588 was filed with the patent office on 2015-04-23 for liquid storage container and liquid jet apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Yasunori KOIKE, Takashi MANO.
Application Number | 20150109386 14/519588 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51752002 |
Filed Date | 2015-04-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150109386 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOIKE; Yasunori ; et
al. |
April 23, 2015 |
LIQUID STORAGE CONTAINER AND LIQUID JET APPARATUS
Abstract
A liquid storage container includes a liquid storage section
configured to store a liquid, a liquid injection section connected
to the liquid storage section and configured to inject the liquid
into the liquid storage section, an air chamber communicated with
air, an air introduction section communicated to the air chamber
and configured to introduce the air to the air chamber, a
communicating passage through which the liquid storage section and
the air chamber are communicated to each other, a liquid injection
port defined as an intersection at which the liquid injection
section and the liquid storage section intersect each other, and a
connecting port defined between the liquid storage section and the
communicating passage and located above the liquid injection port
in a posture where the liquid injection port is oriented upward in
a direction intersecting with a horizontal direction.
Inventors: |
KOIKE; Yasunori; (Matsumoto,
JP) ; MANO; Takashi; (Shiojiri, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
51752002 |
Appl. No.: |
14/519588 |
Filed: |
October 21, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
347/86 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41J 2/17513 20130101;
B41J 2/17503 20130101; B41J 2/17509 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
347/86 |
International
Class: |
B41J 2/175 20060101
B41J002/175 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 23, 2013 |
JP |
2013-219889 |
Claims
1. A liquid storage container comprising: a liquid storage section
configured to store a liquid; a liquid injection section connected
to the liquid storage section and configured to inject the liquid
into the liquid storage section; an air chamber communicated with
air; an air introduction section communicated to the air chamber
and configured to introduce the air to the air chamber; a
communicating passage through which the liquid storage section and
the air chamber are communicated to each other; a liquid injection
port defined as an intersection at which the liquid injection
section and the liquid storage section intersect each other; and a
connecting port defined between the liquid storage section and the
communicating passage and located above the liquid injection port
in a posture where the liquid injection port is oriented upward in
a direction intersecting with a horizontal direction.
2. The liquid storage container as set forth in claim 1, further
comprising a side wall surrounding the liquid injection port and
projecting out toward the outside of the liquid storage section,
and a cap configured to block off the liquid injection port, the
liquid storage section including an upper region that is located
above the liquid injection port in the posture, the connecting port
being provided to the upper region, and a volume of the upper
region being greater than a volume of the cap that is fitted to the
side wall.
3. A liquid storage container comprising: a liquid storage section
configured to store a liquid; a liquid injection section connected
to the liquid storage section and configured to inject the liquid
into the liquid storage section; an air chamber communicated with
air; an air introduction section communicated to the air chamber
and configured to introduce the air to the air chamber; a
communicating passage through which the liquid storage section and
the air chamber are communicated to each other; at least a part of
the liquid storage section being optically transmissive, the at
least a part of the liquid storage section having a mark indicating
an upper limit for an amount of the liquid; a liquid injection port
defined as an intersection at which the liquid injection section
and the liquid storage section intersect each other; and a
connecting port defined between the liquid storage section and the
communicating passage and located above the mark in a posture where
a liquid injection port is oriented upward in a direction
intersecting with a horizontal direction.
4. The liquid storage container as set forth in claim 2, further
comprising a case member having a groove and a recess communicating
with the groove, and a sheet member covering the groove and the
recess to seal the groove and the recess, at least a part of the
communicating passage being formed of a space surrounded by the
groove and the sheet member, and at least a part of the liquid
storage section being formed of a space surrounded by the recess
and the sheet member.
5. The liquid storage container as set forth in claim 4, wherein a
rib that is convex toward the sheet member is provided inside the
recess.
6. The liquid storage container as set forth in claim 5, wherein
the sheet member is bonded to the rib.
7. The liquid storage container as set forth in claim 5, wherein
the recess has two inner walls that face one another across the
rib, and a gap between the rib and one inner wall of the two inner
walls is equal to a gap between the rib and the other inner wall of
the two inner walls.
8. The liquid storage container as set forth in claim 5, wherein
the recess has two inner walls that face one another, a plurality
of the ribs are provided inside the recess and are lined up along a
direction in which the two inner walls face one another, and a gap
between one inner wall of the two inner walls and the rib that is
adjacent to the one inner wall in the direction, a gap between the
other inner wall of the two inner walls and the rib that is
adjacent to the other inner wall in the direction, and a gap of two
of the ribs that are adjacent in the direction are all equal to one
another.
9. The liquid storage container as set forth in claim 2, wherein
the air chamber is located above the liquid storage section and a
part of the communicating passage is located above the air chamber
in the posture.
10. The liquid storage container as set forth in claim 2, wherein
the communicating passage includes a first portion and a second
portion, and the first portion and the second portion are located
at opposite sides to one another across the air chamber in the
horizontal direction in the posture.
11. A liquid jet apparatus comprising: a first case; a mechanism
unit including a mechanism portion covered by the first case and
configured to execute a print operation; a second case coupled to
the first case; and a plurality of liquid storage containers as set
forth in claim 2, the plurality of liquid storage containers being
covered by the second case and being arranged to supply a liquid to
a print section of the mechanism unit via supply tubes.
12. A liquid jet apparatus comprising: a case; a mechanism unit
including a mechanism portion covered by the case and configured to
execute a print operation; and a plurality of liquid storage
containers as set forth in claim 2; the plurality of liquid storage
containers being covered by the case and being arranged to supply a
liquid to a print section of the mechanism unit via supply tubes.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent
Application No. 2013-219889 filed on Oct. 23, 2013. The entire
disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-219889 is hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present invention relates to a liquid storage container
and a liquid jet apparatus, inter alia.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] Inkjet printers have conventionally been known as one
example of a liquid jet apparatus. In an inkjet printer, printing
on a printing medium such as printing paper can be carried out by
discharging an ink, which is one example of a liquid, from an
ejection head onto the printing medium. With such an inkjet
printer, there is a conventionally known configuration where ink
that has been collected in a tank, which is one example of a liquid
storage container, is supplied to the ejection head. An ink
injection port is provided to this tank. A user is able to refill
the tank with ink from the ink injection port. In such a tank,
there is a conventionally known configuration with which a liquid
storage chamber in which the ink is stored and an air storage
chamber in which air is introduced are in communication with one
another by a communicating section (see JP-A-2012-20495 (patent
document 1), for example).
SUMMARY
[0006] In the tank described in patent document 1 above, even when,
for example, the ink that is inside the liquid storage chamber
flows out to the air storage chamber side via the communicating
section, the ink that has flowed out to the air storage chamber
side can still be collected in the air storage chamber. This tank
therefore makes it easier to reduce leakage of the ink that is
inside the liquid storage chamber to outside of the tank via the
air release port. However, with the tank described above, in an
injection posture at which the ink is injected into the liquid
injection port, the liquid storage chamber-side opening of the
communicating section is located below the liquid injection port
and therefore the ink inside the liquid storage section readily
flows into the communicating section. Then, when an external force
such as vibration acts in a state where the ink has flowed into the
communicating section, the ink inside the communicating section
becomes more likely to flow into the air storage chamber. When the
ink is more likely to flow into the air storage chamber, then there
is an increased possibility that ink could leak out of the tank
from the air release port. In this manner, a conventional liquid
storage container has a problem in that it is difficult to reduce
the possibility of leakage of the liquid from occurring.
[0007] The present invention has been made in order to solve the
above-described problem at least in part, and can be realized in
the form of the following modes or application examples.
Application Example 1
[0008] A liquid storage container is characterized by comprising a
liquid storage section configured to store a liquid, a liquid
injection section configured to inject the liquid into the liquid
storage section, an air chamber communicated with air, an air
introduction section communicated to the air chamber and configured
to introduce the air to the air chamber, a communicating passage
through which the liquid storage section and the air chamber are
communicated to each other, a liquid injection port defined as an
intersection at which the liquid injection section and the liquid
storage section intersect each other, and a connecting port defined
between the liquid storage section and the communicating passage
and located above the liquid injection port in a posture where the
liquid injection port is oriented upward in a direction
intersecting with a horizontal direction.
[0009] In the liquid storage container of this application example,
the connecting port between the liquid storage section and the
communicating passage is located above the liquid injection port,
and therefore the liquid inside the liquid storage section is less
likely to reach the connecting port. For this reason, the
possibility that the liquid inside the liquid storage section could
flow into the communicating passage is reduced. As a result, the
possibility that the liquid inside the liquid storage section could
reach the air chamber is reduced, and therefore the possibility
that the liquid inside the liquid storage section could leak out of
the liquid storage container via the air introduction section from
the air chamber can be reduced.
Application Example 2
[0010] A liquid storage container as described above is
characterized by further comprising a side wall surrounding the
liquid injection port and projecting out toward the outside of the
liquid storage section, and a cap configured to blocking off the
liquid injection port, the liquid storage section including an
upper region that is located above the liquid injection port in the
posture, the connecting port being provided to the upper region,
and a volume of the upper region being greater than a volume of the
cap that is fitted to the side wall.
[0011] In this application example, the volume of the upper region
is greater than the volume of the cap that is fitted to the side
wall, and therefore even when the cap is fitted to the side wall in
a state where, for example, the inside of the side wall has been
filled with the liquid, the liquid that is pressed against the
inside of the liquid storage section with the cap can still be
collected in the upper region. This causes the liquid inside the
liquid storage section to less readily reach the connecting port
even in a configuration having a cap, and therefore makes it
possible to reduce the possibility that that liquid inside the
liquid storage section could leak out of the liquid storage
container via the air introduction section from the air
chamber.
Application Example 3
[0012] A liquid storage container is characterized by comprising a
liquid storage section configured to store a liquid, a liquid
injection section configured to inject the liquid into the liquid
storage section, an air chamber communicated with air, an air
introduction section communicated to the air chamber and configured
to introduce the air to the air chamber, a communicating passage
through which the liquid storage section and the air chamber are
communicated to each other, at least a part of the liquid storage
section being optically transmissive, the at least a part of the
liquid storage section having a mark indicating an upper limit for
an amount of the liquid, a liquid injection port defined as an
intersection at which the liquid injection section and the liquid
storage section intersect each other, and a connecting port defined
between the liquid storage section and the communicating passage
and located above the mark in a posture where a liquid injection
port is oriented upward in a direction intersecting with a
horizontal direction.
[0013] With the liquid storage container of this application
example, the connecting port between the liquid storage section and
the communicating passage is located above the mark indicating the
upper limit for the amount of the liquid, and therefore the liquid
inside the liquid storage section is less likely to reach the
connecting port. For this reason, the possibility that the liquid
inside the liquid storage section could flow into the communicating
passage is reduced. As a result, the possibility that the liquid
inside the liquid storage section could reach the air chamber is
reduced, and therefore the possibility that the liquid inside the
liquid storage section could leak out of the liquid storage
container via the air introduction section from the air chamber can
be reduced.
Application Example 4
[0014] A liquid storage container as described above is
characterized by further comprising a case member having a groove
and a recess communicating with the groove, and a sheet member
covering the groove and the recess to seal the groove and the
recess, at least a part of the communicating passage being formed
of a space surrounded by the groove and the sheet member, and at
least a part of the liquid storage section being formed of a space
surrounded by the recess and the sheet member.
[0015] In this application example, at least a part of the
communicating passage can be configured with the case member and
the sheet member, as can at least a part of the liquid storage
section.
Application Example 5
[0016] A liquid storage container as described above is
characterized in that a rib that is convex toward the sheet member
is provided inside the recess.
[0017] In this application example, the rib is provided inside the
recess and therefore it is easy to use the rib to regulate
deformation of the sheet member when the sheet member is deformed
toward inside the recess.
Application Example 6
[0018] A liquid storage container as described above is
characterized in that the sheet member is bonded to the rib.
[0019] In this application example, the sheet member is bonded to
the rib and therefore deformation of the sheet member to the side
opposite to the case member side is easily regulated.
Application Example 7
[0020] A liquid storage container as described above is
characterized in that the recess has two inner walls that face one
another across the rib, and a gap between the rib and one inner
wall of the two inner walls is equal to a gap between the rib and
the other inner wall of the two inner walls.
[0021] In this application example, deformation of the sheet member
is easily regulated equally between the rib and one inner wall and
between the rib and the other inner wall.
Application Example 8
[0022] A liquid storage container as described above is
characterized in that the recess has two inner walls that face one
another, a plurality of the ribs are provided inside the recess and
are lined up along a direction in which the two inner walls face
one another, and a gap between one inner wall of the two inner
walls and the rib that is adjacent to the one inner wall in the
direction, a gap between the other inner wall of the two inner
walls and the rib that is adjacent to the other inner wall in the
direction, and a gap of two of the ribs that are adjacent in the
direction are all equal to one another.
[0023] In this application example, deformation of the sheet member
is easily regulated mutually equally between one inner wall and a
rib adjacent to this inner wall, between the other inner wall and a
rib adjacent to this inner wall, and between two ribs that are
adjacent to one another.
Application Example 9
[0024] A liquid storage container as described above is
characterized in that the air chamber is located above the liquid
storage section and a part of the communicating passage is located
above the air chamber in the posture.
[0025] In this application example, the air chamber is located
above the liquid storage section and a part of the communicating
passage is located above the air chamber, and therefore the liquid
that has flowed into the communicating passage from the liquid
storage section will less readily rise above the air chamber, due
to the action of gravity. For this reason, liquid that has flowed
into the communicating passage from the liquid storage section will
less readily arrive at the air chamber. As a result, it is easier
to prevent liquid that has flowed from the liquid storage section
into the communicating passage from leaking out from the liquid
storage container.
Application Example 10
[0026] A liquid storage container as described above is
characterized in that the communicating passage includes a first
portion and a second portion, and the first portion and the second
portion are located at opposite sides to one another across the air
chamber in the horizontal direction in the posture.
[0027] In this application example, the route of the communicating
passage can be lengthened by putting the space surrounding the air
chamber to use and forming the communicating passage so as to run
around the air chamber.
Application Example 11
[0028] A liquid jet apparatus is characterized by comprising a
first case, a mechanism unit including a mechanism portion covered
by the first case and configured to execute a print operation, a
second case coupled to the first case, and a plurality of liquid
storage containers. The plurality of liquid storage containers are
covered by the second case and are arranged to supply a liquid to a
print section of the mechanism unit via supply tubes.
[0029] In the liquid jet apparatus of this application example, the
plurality of liquid storage containers are arranged inside the same
second case, and therefore any variance such as in the height of
the connecting port between the liquid storage section and the
communicating passage in the plurality of liquid storage containers
can be reduced. As a result of this, even in a case where a
plurality of liquid storage containers are used, it is possible to
endow all of the liquid storage containers with the effect of
reducing the possibility that the liquid could leak out of the
liquid storage containers via the air introduction sections.
Application Example 12
[0030] A liquid jet apparatus is characterized by comprising a
case, a mechanism unit including a mechanism portion covered by the
case and configured to execute a print operation, and a plurality
of liquid storage containers. The plurality of liquid storage
containers are covered by the case and are arranged to supply a
liquid to a print section of the mechanism unit via supply
tubes.
[0031] In the liquid jet apparatus of this application example, the
plurality of liquid storage containers are arranged inside the same
case, and therefore any variance such as in the height of the
connecting port between the liquid storage section and the
communicating passage in the plurality of liquid storage containers
can be reduced. As a result of this, even in a case where a
plurality of liquid storage containers are used, it is possible to
endow all of the liquid storage containers with the effect of
reducing the possibility that the liquid could leak out of the
liquid storage containers via the air introduction sections.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of
this original disclosure:
[0033] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a printer in the
present embodiments;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a printer in the
present embodiments;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanism unit
of a printer in the present embodiments;
[0036] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a tank
in a first embodiment;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a side view of when a tank in the first embodiment
is viewed from a sheet member side;
[0038] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a case in the
first embodiment;
[0039] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of when an ink injection
section, a supply port, and an air communication port in the
present embodiments are cut in the XZ plane;
[0040] FIG. 8 is a side view of when a tank in the first embodiment
is viewed from a sheet member side;
[0041] FIG. 9 is a side view of when a tank in the first embodiment
is viewed from a sheet member side;
[0042] FIGS. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views of when a first
buffer chamber in the first embodiment is cut in the YZ plane;
[0043] FIGS. 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views illustrating
another example of a first buffer chamber in the first
embodiment;
[0044] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a tank
in a second embodiment;
[0045] FIG. 13 is a side view of when a tank in the second
embodiment is viewed from a sheet member side;
[0046] FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a case in the
second embodiment;
[0047] FIG. 15 is a side view of when a tank in the second
embodiment is viewed from a sheet member side;
[0048] FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the A section in FIG. 15;
[0049] FIG. 17 is a side view of when a tank in the second
embodiment is viewed from a sheet member side;
[0050] FIG. 18 a side view of when a tank in the second embodiment
is viewed from a sheet member side;
[0051] FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a multifunction
peripheral in the present embodiments;
[0052] FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a multifunction
peripheral in the present embodiments;
[0053] FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating a printer in the
present embodiments; and
[0054] FIG. 22 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanism unit
of a printer in the present embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0055] Embodiments shall be described below with reference to the
accompanying drawings, using the example of an inkjet printer
(hereinafter called a printer), which is one example of a liquid
jet apparatus. In each of the drawings, there may be instances
where the scales of the configurations and members have been
altered in order to make the respective configurations large enough
to be recognizable.
[0056] A printer 1 in the present embodiments, as illustrated in
FIG. 1, has a first case 3 and a tank unit 5. The printer 1 is able
to print onto a printing medium P of printing paper or the like
using ink, which is one example of a liquid. The tank unit 5 has a
second case 7, which is one example of a case member, and a
plurality of (two or more) tanks 9. The first case 3 and the second
case 7 constitute an outer shell of the printer 1. Here, in FIG. 1,
XYZ axes have been assigned, which are coordinate axes that are
orthogonal to one another. XYZ axes have been assigned where
necessary in the subsequently illustrated drawings, as well. In
each of the XYZ axes, the orientation of the arrow illustrates the
plus direction (forward direction), and the opposite orientation to
the orientation of the arrow illustrates the minus direction
(negative direction). In a state in which the printer 1 is used,
the printer 1 is arranged on a horizontal plane that is defined by
the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In the state of use
of the printer 1, the Z-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to
the horizontal plane, and the -Z-axis direction is vertically
downward.
[0057] Stored in the first case 3 is a mechanism unit 10 (FIG. 3)
of the printer 1. The mechanism unit 10 is a mechanism portion for
executing the operation of printing in the printer 1. A more
detailed description of the mechanism unit 10 shall be provided
below. The plurality of tanks 9 are stored inside the second case
7, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and each of the plurality of tanks 9
stores ink that is supplied for printing. In the present
embodiments, there are four of the tanks 9 that are provided. In
the four tanks 9, there is a different kind of ink for each of the
tanks 9. In the present embodiments, the four kinds of ink that are
employed are black, yellow, magenta, and cyan. One of each is
provided--a tank 9 that stores the black ink, a tank 9 that stores
the yellow ink, a tank 9 that stores the magenta ink, and a tank 9
that stores the cyan ink. In the printer 1, the plurality of tanks
9 are provided to the outside of the first case 3. For this reason,
in the printer 1, the plurality of tanks 9 are not built into the
first case 3, which covers the mechanism unit 10.
[0058] Also provided to the printer 1 is a paper discharge section
11. In the printer 1, the printing medium P is discharged from the
paper discharge section 11. In the printer 1, a surface to which
the paper discharge section 11 is provided is understood to be a
front surface 13. The printer 1 also has an operation panel 17 at
an upper surface 15 that intersects the front surface 13. Provided
to the operation panel 17 are a power button 18A, another operation
button 18B, and the like. The tank unit 5 is provided to a side
section 19 that intersects the front surface 13 and the upper
surface 15 in the first case 3. Window sections 21 are provided to
the second case 7. The window sections 21 are provided to a side
section 27 that intersects with a front surface 23 and an upper
surface 25 in the second case 7. The window sections 21 are
optically transparent. The four tanks 9 described above are
provided to positions overlapping with the window sections 21. For
this reason, a worker who is using the printer 1 is able to view
the four tanks 9 through the window sections 21.
[0059] In the present embodiments, the sites of each of the tanks 9
that face the window sections 21 are optically transparent. The
inks inside the tanks 9 can be viewed from the optically
transparent sites of each of the tanks 9. As such, viewing the four
tanks 9 via the window sections 21 allows the worker to view the
amount of ink that is in each of the tanks 9. Provided to each of
the tanks 9, to the sites that face the window sections 21, are an
upper limit mark 28 indicative of an upper limit for the amount of
ink and a lower limit mark 29 indicative of a lower limit for the
amount of ink. The worker can use the upper limit marks 28 and the
lower limit marks 29 as benchmarks to ascertain the amount of ink
that is in each of the tanks 9. Meanwhile, the first case 3 and the
second case 7 are constituted of separate bodies from one another.
For this reason, in the present embodiments, the second case 7 can
be separated from the first case 3, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The
second case 7 is coupled to the first case 3 by mounting screws 31.
Also, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the second case 7 at least
partially covers the four (two or more) tanks 9, such as with, for
example, the front surfaces, upper surfaces, and side surfaces
thereof.
[0060] The printer 1 has a print section 41 and supply tubes 43, as
illustrated in FIG. 3, which is a perspective view illustrating the
mechanism unit 10. The print section 41 has a carriage 45, a print
head 47, and four relay units 49. The print head 47 is mounted onto
the carriage 45, as are the relay units 49. The supply tubes 43 are
flexible and are provided between the tanks 9 and the relay units
49. The inks inside the tanks 9 are sent to the relay units 49 via
the supply tubes 43. The relay units 49 relay to the print head 47
the inks that are supplied from the tanks 9 via the supply tubes
43. The print head 47 discharges the supplied inks as ink
droplets.
[0061] The printer 1 also has a medium conveyance mechanism (not
shown) and a head conveyance mechanism (not shown). The medium
conveyance mechanism conveys the printing medium P along the Y-axis
direction by driving a conveyance roller 51 using power coming from
a motor (not shown). The head conveyance mechanism conveys the
carriage 45 along the X-axis direction by transmitting power coming
from a motor 53 to the carriage 45 via a timing belt 55. The print
head 47 is mounted onto the carriage 45. For this reason, the print
head 47 can be conveyed in the X-axis direction via the carriage
45, by the head conveyance mechanism. The print head 47 is
supported by the carriage 45 in a state of facing the printing
medium P. The inks are discharged from the print head 47 while the
relative position of the print head 47 with respect to the printing
medium P is being changed by the medium conveyance mechanism and
the head conveyance mechanism, whereby printing is performed on the
printing medium P.
[0062] Various embodiments of the tanks 9 shall be described. For
the purpose of discriminating between the different embodiments of
the tanks 9 below, a different alphabetic character for each of the
embodiments shall be appended to the reference numeral for the
tanks 9.
First Embodiment
[0063] A tank 9A as in the first embodiment shall now be described.
The tank 9A, as illustrated in FIG. 4, has a case 61, which is one
example of a tank main body, and a sheet member 63. The case 61 is
constituted of, for example, a synthetic resin such as nylon or
polypropylene. The sheet member 63 is formed of a synthetic resin
(for example, nylon, polypropylene, or the like) in the shape of a
film and is flexible. In the present embodiment, the sheet member
63 is optically transparent. The tank 9A has a configuration with
which the case 61 and the sheet member 63 are bonded together.
Bonding sections 64 are provided to the case 61. FIG. 4 depicts the
bonding sections 64 with hatching in order to better illustrate the
configuration. The sheet member 63 is bonded to the bonding
sections 64 of the case 61. In the present embodiment, the case 61
and the sheet member 63 are bonded together by welding.
[0064] The tank 9A, as illustrated in FIG. 5, has a storage section
65 and a communicating section 67. The communicating section 67 has
a first air chamber 68, a second air chamber 69, a first
communicating passage 71, a third air chamber 72, a second
communicating passage 73, a first buffer chamber 74, and a second
buffer chamber 75. In the tank 9A, the ink is stored inside the
storage section 65. FIG. 5 illustrates a state where the tank 9A is
viewed from the sheet member 63 side, and depicts the case 61 with
the sheet member 63 in between. The storage section 65, the first
air chamber 68, the second air chamber 69, the first communicating
passage 71, the third air chamber 72, and the second communicating
passage 73 are partitioned from one another by the bonding sections
64. The first buffer chamber 74 and the second buffer chamber 75
are each provided to inside the second communicating passage
73.
[0065] The case 61 has a first wall 81, a second wall 82, a third
wall 83, a fourth wall 84, a fifth wall 85, a sixth wall 86, a
seventh wall 87, and an eighth wall 88. Arranged on the side of the
fifth wall 85 opposite to the storage section 65 side are the first
air chamber 68, the second air chamber 69, the first communicating
passage 71, and the third air chamber 72. When the first wall 81 is
seen in plan view from the sheet member 63 side, then the storage
section 65 is surrounded by the second wall 82, the third wall 83,
the fourth wall 84, and the fifth wall 85.
[0066] When the first wall 81 is seen in plan view from the sheet
member 63 side, then the first air chamber 68, the second air
chamber 69, the first communicating passage 71, and the third air
chamber 72 are surrounded by the fifth wall 85, the sixth wall 86,
the seventh wall 87, and the eighth wall 88. The first wall 81 of
the storage section 65 and the first wall 81 of the first air
chamber 68, the second air chamber 69, and the third air chamber 72
are the same wall as one another. In other words, in the present
embodiment, the first wall 81 is shared among the storage section
65, the first air chamber 68, the second air chamber 69, and the
third air chamber 72.
[0067] The second wall 82, the third wall 83, the fourth wall 84,
and the fifth wall 85 each intersect the first wall 81, as
illustrated in FIG. 6. The second wall 82 and the third wall 83 are
provided to positions that face each other across the first wall 81
in the X-axis direction. The fourth wall 84 and the fifth wall 85
are provided to positions that face each other across the first
wall 81 in the Z-axis direction. The second wall 82 intersects with
each of the fourth wall 84 and the fifth wall 85. The third wall 83
also intersects with each of the fourth wall 84 and the fifth wall
85.
[0068] The second wall 82, the third wall 83, the fourth wall 84,
and the fifth wall 85 project out in the +Y-axis direction from the
first wall 81. Due to this, where the first wall 81 is a main wall,
a recess 91 is constituted of the second wall 82, the third wall
83, the fourth wall 84, and the fifth wall 85, which extend in the
+Y-axis direction from the main wall. The recess 91 is configured
with an orientation so as to be concave going towards the -Y-axis
direction. The recess 91 forms an opening going toward the +Y-axis
direction, i.e., toward the sheet member 63 (FIG. 4) side. In other
words, the recess 91 is provided at an orientation so as to be
concave going toward the -Y-axis direction, i.e., toward the side
opposite to the sheet member 63 (FIG. 4) side. When the sheet
member 63 is bonded to the case 61, the recess 91 is closed off by
the sheet member 63, thus constituting the storage section 65. The
first wall 81 through the eighth wall 88 each are not limited to
being flat walls, and may also be ones that comprise
irregularities.
[0069] The sixth wall 86 projects out from the fifth wall 85 toward
the side of the fifth wall 85 opposite to the fourth wall 84 side,
i.e., toward the +Z-axis direction side of the fifth wall 85, as
illustrated in FIG. 5. The seventh wall 87 projects out from the
fifth wall 85 toward the side of the fifth wall 85 opposite to the
fourth wall 84 side, i.e., toward the +Z-axis direction side of the
fifth wall 85. The sixth wall 86 and the seventh wall 87 are
provided to positions that face each other across the first air
chamber 68, the second air chamber 69, the first communicating
passage 71, and the third air chamber 72 in the X-axis direction.
The eighth wall 88 is provided to a position that faces the fifth
wall 85 across the first air chamber 68, the second air chamber 69,
the first communicating passage 71, and the third air chamber 72 in
the Z-axis direction. The sixth wall 86 intersects with each of the
fifth wall 85 and the eighth wall 88. The seventh wall 87 also
intersects with each of the fifth wall 85 and the eighth wall
88.
[0070] Provided between the fifth wall 85 and the eighth wall 88 is
a ninth wall 93 by which the first air chamber 68 and the second
air chamber 69 are partitioned in the Z-axis direction. Also,
provided between the sixth wall 86 and the seventh wall 87 are a
tenth wall 94 and an eleventh wall 95. Between the first air
chamber 68 and second air chamber 69 and the third air chamber 72,
a separation in the X-axis direction is formed by the tenth wall 94
and the eleventh wall 95. The tenth wall 94 is provided to the
seventh wall 87 side more than the sixth wall 86, and faces the
sixth wall 86. The eleventh wall 95 is provided to the sixth wall
86 side more than the seventh wall 87, and faces the seventh wall
87. The eleventh wall 95 is provided to the seventh wall 87 side
more than the tenth wall 94.
[0071] The sixth wall 86, the seventh wall 87, the eighth wall 88,
the ninth wall 93, the tenth wall 94, and the eleventh wall 95 each
project out in the +Y-axis direction from the first wall 81, as
illustrated in FIG. 6. The sixth wall 86, the ninth wall 93, the
tenth wall 94, and the eighth wall 88, which extend in the +Y-axis
direction from the first wall 81, together constitute a recess 97.
The sixth wall 86, the fifth wall 85, the tenth wall 94, and the
ninth wall 93, which extend in the +Y-axis direction from the first
wall 81, together constitute a recess 98. The fifth wall 85, the
seventh wall 87, the eighth wall 88, and the eleventh wall 95,
which extend in the +Y-axis direction from the first wall 81,
together constitute a recess 99.
[0072] The recess 97, the recess 98, and the recess 99 each form an
opening going toward the +Y-axis direction, i.e., toward the sheet
member 63 (FIG. 4) side. In other words, the recess 97, the recess
98, and the recess 99 are provided at an orientation so as to be
concave going toward the -Y-axis direction, i.e., toward the side
opposite to the sheet member 63 (FIG. 4) side. Then, when the sheet
member 63 is bonded to the case 61, the recess 97 is closed off by
the sheet member 63, thus constituting the first air chamber 68.
Likewise, when the sheet member 63 is bonded to the case 61, the
recess 98 is closed off by the sheet member 63, thus constituting
the second air chamber 69, and the recess 99 is closed off by the
sheet member 63, thus constituting the third air chamber 72. The
amounts by which the second wall 82 through eighth wall 88 and the
ninth wall 93 through eleventh wall 95 project out from the first
wall 81 are set so as to be the same amount of projection to one
another.
[0073] The second wall 82 and the sixth wall 86 have a stepped
difference in the X-axis direction. The second wall 82 is located
to the third wall 83 side more than the sixth wall 86, i.e., to the
-X-axis direction side more than the sixth wall 86. The third wall
83 and the seventh wall 87 have a stepped difference in the X-axis
direction. The seventh wall 87 is located to the second wall 82
side more than the third wall 83, i.e., to the +X-axis direction
side more than the third wall 83. An ink injection section 101 is
provided between the third wall 83 and the seventh wall 87 in the
state where the first wall 81 is seen in plan view from the sheet
member 63 side. The ink injection section 101 is provided to the
fifth wall 85.
[0074] The first communicating passage 71 is provided between the
tenth wall 94 and the eleventh wall 95, as illustrated in FIG. 5,
and forms communication between the second air chamber 69 and the
third air chamber 72. The second communicating passage 73 is
provided to the outside of the storage section 65, the first air
chamber 68, the second air chamber 69, the first communicating
passage 71, and the third air chamber 72. The second communicating
passage 73 forms communication between the third air chamber 72 and
the storage section 65. A communication port 102 is provided to the
ninth wall 93. The first air chamber 68 and the second air chamber
69 are in communication with one another via the communication port
102. The second air chamber 69 is communicated to the first
communicating passage 71 via a communication port 103. Also, the
third air chamber 72 is communicated to the first communicating
passage 71 via a communication port 104. The first communicating
passage 71 is meandering. The second air chamber 69 is communicated
to the third air chamber 72 after meandering the first
communicating passage 71.
[0075] As illustrated in FIG. 6, an extended section 105 is
provided to the case 61. The second communicating passage 73 is
provided to the extended section 105. The extended section 105 has
a site 105A that is extended out toward the +X-axis direction side
from the fifth wall 85 along the edge of the opening of the recess
91, in a region of the fifth wall 85 that is to the -X-axis
direction side more than the seventh wall 87. The site 105A is also
extended out toward the -X-axis direction side from the seventh
wall 87 along the edge of the opening of the recess 99 in the
seventh wall 87. The extended section 105 furthermore has a site
105B that is extended out toward the +Z-axis direction side from
the eighth wall 88. The extended section 105 moreover has a site
105C that is extended out toward the +X-axis direction side from
the sixth wall 86 along the edge of the openings of the recess 97
and the recess 98 in the sixth wall 86. The extended section 105
additionally has a site 105D that is extended out toward the
+X-axis direction side from the second wall 82 along the edge of
the opening of the recess 91 in the second wall 82. The second
communicating passage 73 is configured as a groove 117 that is
provided to the extended section 105 at an orientation so as to be
concave going toward the side opposite to the sheet member 63
side.
[0076] Here, inside the recess 91, a recess 109 is provided. The
recess 109 is provided at an orientation so as to be concave going
toward the opposite side to the fifth wall 85 side more than the
fourth wall 84, i.e., going toward the -Z-axis direction side more
than the fourth wall 84. Then, in the recess 109, a supply port 113
is provided to a wall 111 that faces the third wall 83 and the
second wall 82. For this reason, the supply port 113 is provided
between the third wall 83 and the second wall 82 in a state where
the first wall 81 is seen in plan view. The ink injection section
101 and the supply port 113 each form communication between the
outside of the case 61 and the inside of the recess 91. The supply
port 113 projects out toward the second wall 82 side along the
X-axis direction from the wall 111.
[0077] Also, an air communication port 115 is provided to the
eighth wall 88. The air communication port 115 projects out from
the eighth wall 88 to the side of the eighth wall 88 opposite to
the fifth wall 85, i.e., to the +Z-axis direction side of the
eighth wall 88. The air communication port 115 is provided to a
position that overlaps with the recess 97 when the eighth wall 88
is seen in plan view, i.e., when the eighth wall 88 is seen in plan
view in the XY plane. The air communication port 115 forms
communication between the outside of the case 61 and the inside of
the recess 97. The air communication port 115 is a communicating
passage for air, in order to introduce the air that is outside of
the case 61 to the inside of the recess 97. In the case 61, the
bonding sections 64 are provided along the respective contours of
each of the recess 91, the recess 97, the recess 98, the recess 99,
the recess 109, the first communicating passage 71, and the second
communicating passage 73.
[0078] The sheet member 63 faces the first wall 81 across the
second wall 82 through eighth wall 88 in the Y-axis direction, as
illustrated in FIG. 4. The sheet member 63 has a size that covers
the recess 91, the recess 97, the recess 98, the recess 99, the
recess 109, and the extended section 105, as seen in plan view. The
sheet member 63 is welded to the bonding sections 64 in a state
where there is a gap with the first wall 81 on the other side. This
causes the recess 91, the recess 97, the recess 98, the recess 99,
the recess 109, the first communicating passage 71, and the second
communicating passage 73 to be sealed off by the sheet member 63.
For this reason, the sheet member 63 can be regarded also as a
covering for the case 61.
[0079] The second communicating passage 73 has a communication port
106 and a communication port 107, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The
communication port 106 is an opening that opens toward the inside
of the third air chamber 72. The communication port 107 is an
opening that opens toward the inside of the storage section 65. The
third air chamber 72 passes from the communication port 106 via the
second communicating passage 73 through the communication port 107
to the storage section 65. By the above, the storage section 65
passes via the second communicating passage 73, the third air
chamber 72, the first communicating passage 71, the second air
chamber 69, the first air chamber 68, and the air communication
port 115 to the exterior of the tank 9A. This means that the
communicating section 67 establishes communication between the air
communication port 115 and the storage section 65. Air that has
flowed in to inside the first air chamber 68 from the air
communication port 115 flows in to the second air chamber 69 via
the communication port 102. Air that has flowed in to the second
air chamber 69 flows in to the third air chamber 72 via the first
communicating passage 71. Then, the air that has flowed in to the
third air chamber 72 flows in to the inside of the storage section
65 via the second communicating passage 73.
[0080] The ink injection section 101 is provided to the fifth wall
85. The ink injection section 101 is provided to inside a recess
121 that is surrounded by the seventh wall 87, the extended section
105, the third wall 83, and the first wall 81, as illustrated in
FIG. 6. As stated earlier, the extended section 105 projects out to
the eighth wall 88 side more than the fifth wall 85. The seventh
wall 87 also projects out to the eighth wall 88 side more than the
fifth wall 85. Likewise, in the present embodiment, the first wall
81 and the third wall 83 each project out to the eighth wall 88
side more than the fifth wall 85. Then, the extended section 105
intersects with both the seventh wall 87 and the third wall 83. The
first wall 81 also intersects with both the third wall 83 and the
seventh wall 87. For this reason, a region of the fifth wall 85
that is on the third wall 83 side more than the seventh wall 87
constitutes the recess 121, which is surrounded by the seventh wall
87, the extended section 105, the third wall 83, and the first wall
81. The recess 121 is provided at an orientation so as to be
concave going toward the fourth wall 84 side from the fifth wall 85
side.
[0081] Due to the configuration described above, the ink injection
section 101 is surrounded by the seventh wall 87, the extended
section 105, the third wall 83, and the first wall 81. In other
words, the ink injection section 101 is provided to a region of the
fifth wall 85 that is surrounded by the seventh wall 87, the
extended section 105, the third wall 83, and the first wall 81.
Then, the recess 121 has the function of an ink receiving section.
The ink receiving section can receive, for example, ink that
overflows from the ink injection section 101, or ink that has
dripped down during injection. In this manner, the recess 121 has a
function as an ink receiving section for receiving the ink.
[0082] In the case 61, a recess 123 is provided to the side of the
sixth wall 86 opposite to the recess 97 side. The recess 123 and
the recess 97 are lined up sandwiching the sixth wall 86 in the
X-axis direction. Also, in the case 61, a recess 124 is provided to
the side of the sixth wall 86 opposite to the recess 98 side. The
recess 124 and the recess 98 are lined up sandwiching the sixth
wall 86 in the X-axis direction. The recess 123 and the recess 124
are each provided at an orientation so as to be concave going
toward the side opposite to the sheet member 63 (FIG. 4) side. The
recess 123 and the recess 124 are both provided to inside the
groove 117, and are lined up sandwiching a twelfth wall 125 in the
Z-axis direction. The recess 123 and the recess 124 can each also
be regarded as being configurations with which the depth at a part
of the groove 117 is increased.
[0083] When the sheet member 63 is bonded to the case 61, the
groove 117 is closed off by the sheet member 63, thus constituting
the second communicating passage 73, as illustrated in FIG. 5.
Then, in the second communicating passage 73, the recess 123 is
configured as the first buffer chamber 74 and the recess 124 is
configured as the second buffer chamber 75. Herein, as stated
above, the recess 123 and the recess 124 can each also be regarded
as being configurations with which the depth at a part of the
groove 117 is increased. For this reason, the first buffer chamber
74 and the second buffer chamber 75 can also be regarded as being
configurations with which the depth at a part of the second
communicating passage 73 is increased. Accordingly, the respective
cross-sectional areas of the first buffer chamber 74 and the second
buffer chamber 75 in the horizontal plane (XY plane) are wider than
the cross-sectional area of the second communicating passage 73 in
the horizontal plane (XY plane). The respective cross-sectional
areas of the first buffer chamber 74 and the second buffer chamber
75 in the horizontal plane (XY plane) are narrower than the
cross-sectional area of the third air chamber 72 in the horizontal
plane (XY plane). Thus, the respective volumes of the first buffer
chamber 74 and the second buffer chamber 75 are smaller than the
volume of the third air chamber 72.
[0084] Provided to inside the storage section 65 are a plurality of
support sections 127, as illustrated in FIG. 5. In the present
embodiment, there are two support sections 127 provided. Below, in
cases where a distinction is being made between the two support
sections 127, then the two support sections 127 shall be denoted by
a support section 127A and a support section 127B. The two support
sections 127 are lined up in the X-axis direction. Of the two
support sections 127, the support section 127A is located to the
third wall 83 side more than the support section 127B. The two
support sections 127 are each spaced apart from each of the second
wall 82, the third wall 83, the fourth wall 84, and the fifth wall
85. In the present embodiment, the gap between the third wall 83
and the support section 127A, the gap between the support section
127A and the support section 127B, and the gap between the second
wall 82 and the support section 127B are set so as to be equal to
one another. According to this configuration, deformations of the
sheet member 63 can be equally regulated between the third wall 83
and the support section 127A, between the support section 127A and
the support section 127B, and between the second wall 82 and the
support section 127B. In a configuration where there is one support
section 127 provided, then the gap between the third wall 83 and
the support section 127 and the gap between the second wall 82 and
the support section 127 are set so as to be equal to one another.
This makes it possible to equally regulate deformations of the
sheet member 63 between the third wall 83 and the support section
127 and between the second wall 82 and the support section 127.
[0085] The two support sections 127 are provided to the first wall
81 as illustrated in FIG. 6, and project out from the first wall 81
toward the sheet member 63 (FIG. 4) side, i.e., toward the +Y-axis
direction side. Each of the two support sections 127 presents with
a planar shape that extends along the YZ plane. The amount by which
the two support sections 172 project out from the first wall 81 is
set so as to be equal to the amounts by which the second wall 82
through fifth wall 85 project out from the first wall 81. At each
of the two support sections 127, the bonding sections 64 are
provided to an end section of the side opposite to the first wall
81 side, i.e., of the sheet member 63 (FIG. 4) side. The sheet
member 63 is also bonded to the bonding sections 64 at each of the
two support sections 127.
[0086] The ink injection section 101 has an opening 128 and a side
wall 129, as illustrated in FIG. 7, which is a cross-sectional view
of when the ink injection section 101, the supply port 113, and the
air communication port 115 are cut along the XZ plane. The opening
128 is a through hole that is provided to the fifth wall 85. The
opening 128 is also an intersection at which the ink injection
section 101 and the storage section 65 intersect together. A
configuration with which the side wall 129 projects out to the
inside of the storage section 65 could also be employed as the
configuration of the ink injection section 101. In a configuration
with which the side wall 129 projects out to the inside of the
storage section 65, as well, the intersection at which the ink
injection section 101 and the storage section 65 intersect together
would be defined as being the opening 128. The recess 91 is
communicated to the outside of the recess 91 via the opening 128,
which is a through hole. The side wall 129 is provided to the side
of the fifth wall 85 opposite to the fourth wall 84 side and
surrounds the periphery of the opening 128, thus forming an ink
injection path. The side wall 129 projects out from the fifth wall
85 toward the side opposite to the fourth wall 84 side. In the
present embodiment, the side wall 129 projects out to the side
opposite to the fourth wall 84 side more than each of the first
wall 81 and the third wall 83. The side wall 129 makes it possible
to prevent ink that has collected in the recess 121 from flowing
into the opening 128. The first buffer chamber 74 (FIG. 5), is
located above the opening 128 in the Z-axis direction.
[0087] In the tank 9A, an ink 141 is stored in the interior of the
storage section 65, as illustrated in FIG. 8, which is a side view
of when the tank 9A is viewed from the sheet member 63 side. FIG. 8
omits any depiction of the sheet member 63 and depicts the bonding
sections 64 with hatching in order to better illustrate the
configuration. The ink 141 inside the storage section 65 is
supplied to the print head 47 from the supply port 113. In the
present embodiment, in a state where the printer 1 is used for
printing, then the supply tube 43 is connected to the supply port
and a cap 143 is attached to the ink injection section 101. Suction
through the inside the supply tube 43 via the relay unit 49 causes
the ink 141 inside the recess 91 to arrive at the print head 47
from the supply port 113.
[0088] In association with the printing by the print head 47, the
ink 141 inside the storage section 65 is sent to the print head 47
side. For this reason, the pressure inside the storage section 65
becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure in association with the
printing by the print head 47. When the pressure inside the storage
section 65 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure, then the
air inside the third air chamber 72 passes through the second
communicating passage 73 and is sent to inside the storage section
65. This makes it easier for the pressure inside the storage
section 65 to be kept at atmospheric pressure. The air flows into
the third air chamber 72 from the air communication port 115 after
passing by way of the first air chamber 68, the second air chamber
69, and the first communicating passage 71, in the stated order. By
the above, the ink 141 inside the tank 9A is supplied to the print
head 47. When the ink 141 inside the storage section 65 in the tank
9A is consumed and little of the ink 141 remains, then the worker
can refill the inside of the storage section 65 with new ink from
the ink injection section 101.
[0089] The second communicating passage 73, as illustrated in FIG.
9, can be sectioned into a first passage 151, a second passage 152,
a third passage 153, a fourth passage 154, a fifth passage 155, and
a sixth passage 156. The first passage 151 originates at the
communication port 106 and goes toward the third wall 83 along the
fifth wall 85, i.e., along the X-axis direction. The first passage
151 leads from the communication port 106 to a reversal section
161. The reversal section 161 is a site where the orientation of
the flow path in the second communicating passage 73 is reversed.
At the reversal section 161, the orientation of the flow path is
reversed from the -X-axis direction to the +X-axis direction. In
the route taken by the air from the air communication port 115
leading to the storage section 65, the air communication port 115
side is the upstream side and the communication port 107 side is
the downstream side.
[0090] The second passage 152 goes from the reversal section 161
toward the seventh wall 87 along the direction of extension of the
first passage 151, i.e., along the X-axis direction. The second
passage 152 leads from the reversal section 161 to a bend section
162. The bend section 162 is a site where the orientation of the
flow path in the second communicating passage 73 is bent. At the
bend section 162, the orientation of the flow path is bent from the
+X-axis direction to the +Z-axis direction. The third passage 153
goes from the bend section 162 toward the eighth wall 88 along the
seventh wall 87, i.e., along the Z-axis direction. The third
passage 153 leads from the bend section 162 to a bend section 163.
The bend section 163 is a site where the orientation of the flow
path in the second communicating passage 73 is bent. At the bend
section 163, the orientation of the flow path is bent from the
+Z-axis direction to the +X-axis direction.
[0091] The fourth passage 154 goes from the bend section 163 toward
the sixth wall 86 along the eighth wall 88, i.e., along the X-axis
direction. In the Z-axis direction, the fourth passage 154 is
located above the third air chamber 72. The fourth passage 154
leads from the bend section 163 to a bend section 164. The bend
section 164 is a site where the orientation of the flow path in the
second communicating passage 73 is bent. At the bend section 164,
the orientation of the flow path is bent from the +X-axis direction
to the -Z-axis direction. The fifth passage 155 leads from the bend
section 164 toward the fourth wall 84 along the sixth wall 86,
i.e., along the Z-axis direction. The fifth passage 155 leads from
the bend section 164 toward a reversal section 165.
[0092] As stated above, in the Z-axis direction, the fourth passage
154 is located above the third air chamber 72. In other words, a
part of the second communicating passage 73 is located above the
third air chamber 72. According to this configuration, the ink that
has flowed into the second communicating passage 73 from the
storage section 65 will less readily rise above the third air
chamber 72, due to the action of gravity. For this reason, ink that
has flowed into the second communicating passage 73 from the
storage section 65 will less readily arrive at the third air
chamber 72. As a result, it is easier to prevent ink that has
flowed from the storage section 65 into the second communicating
passage 73 from leaking out from the tank 9A.
[0093] Also, in the tank 9A, the third passage 153 and the fifth
passage 155 are located at mutually opposite sides across the third
air chamber 72 in the X-axis direction. According to this
configuration, the route of the second communicating passage 73 can
be lengthened by putting the space surrounding the third air
chamber 72 to use and forming the second communicating passage 73
so as to run around the third air chamber 72. Lengthening the route
of the second communicating passage 73 is preferable from the
viewpoint of making it less likely that the liquid component of the
ink inside the storage section 65 will evaporate and from the
viewpoint of making it less likely that the ink that has flowed
from the storage section 65 into the second communicating passage
73 will arrive at the third air chamber 72.
[0094] The reversal section 165 is a site where the orientation of
the flow path in the second communicating passage 73 is reversed.
At the reversal section 165, the orientation of the flow path is
reversed from the -Z-axis direction to the +Z-axis direction. The
sixth passage 156 goes from the reversal section 165 toward the
fifth wall 85 along the second wall 82, i.e., along the Z-axis
direction. The sixth passage 156 leads from the reversal section
165 to the communication port 107 by way of a bend section 166. The
bend section 166 is a site where the orientation of the flow path
in the second communicating passage 73 is bent. The second
communicating passage 73 is communicated to inside the storage
section 65 via the communication port 107 after the orientation of
the flow path is bent in the bend section 166 from the +Z-axis
direction to the -X-axis direction.
[0095] The first buffer chamber 74 and the second buffer chamber 75
are each provided to the fifth passage 155 in the second
communicating passage 73. The first buffer chamber 74 is arranged
between ninth wall 93 and the eighth wall 88 in the Z-axis
direction. The second buffer chamber 75 is arranged between the
fifth wall 85 and the ninth wall 93 in the Z-axis direction. For
this reason, in the vertical direction, the first buffer chamber 74
is located above the second buffer chamber 75.
[0096] The places of arrangement of the first buffer chamber 74 and
the second buffer chamber 75 are not limited to the fifth passage
155. Any of the sites of the first passage 151 through sixth
passage 156 could also be employed as the places of arrangement of
the first buffer chamber 74 and the second buffer chamber 75. Also,
any of the sites of the reversal section 161, the reversal section
165, the bend section 162, the bend section 163, the bend section
164, and the bend section 166 could also be employed as the places
of arrangement of the first buffer chamber 74 and the second buffer
chamber 75.
[0097] The communication port 106 is located at the intersection at
which the seventh wall 87 and the fifth wall 85 intersect together.
In another viewpoint, the communication port 106 is located at the
lower end of the third air chamber 72 in the vertical direction.
The communication port 107 is located at the intersection at which
the second wall 82 and the fifth wall 85 intersect together. In
another viewpoint, the communication port 107 is located at the
upper end of the storage section 65 in the vertical direction. In
the present embodiment, the communication port 107 is located below
the second buffer chamber 75 in the vertical direction. The
communication port 103 is located at the intersection at which the
fifth wall 85 and the tenth wall 94 intersect together. In another
viewpoint, the communication port 103 is located at a lower end of
the second air chamber 69 in the vertical direction. The
communication port 104 is located at the intersection at which the
fifth wall 85 and the eleventh wall 95 intersect together. In
another viewpoint, the communication port 104 is located at the
lower end of the third air chamber 72 in the vertical
direction.
[0098] Herein, the communication port 107 is located above the
upper limit mark 28 in the vertical direction, as illustrated in
FIG. 7. The upper limit mark 28 is located below the fifth wall 85
in the vertical direction. For this reason, the upper limit mark 28
is located below the opening 128 of the ink injection section 101
in the vertical direction. This makes it easier to avoid an event
where ink would surpass the upper limit mark 28 and arrive at the
opening 128 when the worker is injecting the ink into the tank 9A
from the ink injection section 101. For this reason, it is easier
to avoid an event where the ink overflows from the ink injection
section 101 when the worker is injecting the ink into the tank 9A
from the ink injection section 101.
[0099] In the first embodiment, the Z-axis direction corresponds to
a direction intersecting with the horizontal direction, the storage
section 65 corresponds to a liquid storage section, the ink
injection section 101 corresponds to a liquid injection section,
the opening 128 corresponds to a liquid injection port, and the
third air chamber 72 corresponds to an air chamber. The air
communication port 115, the first air chamber 68, the communication
port 102, the second air chamber 69, and the first communicating
passage 71 correspond to an air introduction section. The second
communicating passage 73 corresponds to a communicating passage,
each of the first buffer chamber 74 and the second buffer chamber
75 corresponds to a collection section, and the case 61 corresponds
to a case member. The support sections 127 correspond to ribs. The
second wall 82 and the third wall 83 correspond to two inner walls
that face one another across ribs. One among either the third
passage 153 or the fifth passage 155 corresponds to a first portion
and the other among the third passage 153 and the fifth passage 155
corresponds to a second portion.
[0100] In the first embodiment, the first buffer chamber 74 and the
second buffer chamber 75 are provided to the second communicating
passage 73. For this reason, even though, for example, the ink
inside the storage section 65 might flow back toward the third air
chamber 72 side through the second communicating passage 73, the
ink can be captured at the first buffer chamber 74 and the second
buffer chamber 75, and therefore the ink inside the storage section
65 can be more easily prevented from arriving at the third air
chamber 72. This makes it easier to avoid an event where the ink
inside the storage section 65 leaks out from the air communication
port 115 to the outside of the tank 9A. The number of the buffer
chambers, however, is not limited to being two, namely, the first
buffer chamber 74 and the second buffer chamber 75. One or a number
three or higher could also be employed as the number of buffer
chambers.
[0101] In the first embodiment, the first buffer chamber 74 and the
second buffer chamber 75 are provided to the fifth passage 155
(FIG. 9) of the second communicating passage 73. In a case where
the ink inside the storage section 65 flows back toward the third
air chamber 72 side through the second communicating passage 73,
then the ink that has flowed back will at the fifth passage 155 be
flowing from the bottom to the top in the Z-axis direction. The
orientation of this flow is opposite to the orientation of when the
air is flowing from the third air chamber 72 side toward the
storage section 65 side. The ink 141 that flows from the bottom to
the top through the fifth passage 155 will collect going from the
bottom toward the top of the first buffer chamber 74, as
illustrated in FIG. 10A, which is a cross-sectional view of when
the first buffer chamber 74 is cut in the YZ plane. For this
reason, the liquid level of the ink 141 that has arrived at the
first buffer chamber 74 rises from the bottom toward the top of the
first buffer chamber 74.
[0102] Here, in a case where, for example, the ink 141 flowing back
from the storage section 65 side toward the third air chamber 72
side flows from the top toward the bottom in the fifth passage 155,
then the ink 141 flowing back flows toward the first buffer chamber
74 from above the first buffer chamber 74. At this time, as
illustrated in FIG. 10B, conceivably either the ink 141 could fail
to arrive at the interior of the first buffer chamber 74 and would
instead end up passing through the first buffer chamber 74, or the
ink 141 that has arrived at inside the first buffer chamber 74
could end up flowing out from the first buffer chamber 74 by the
action of gravity. In such an event, it is not possible to fully
exploit the capacity of the first buffer chamber 74.
[0103] By contrast to such an event, in the present embodiment, the
ink 141 that has arrived at the first buffer chamber 74 will
collect going from the bottom toward the top of the first buffer
chamber 74, and therefore it is possible to efficiently exploit the
capacity of the first buffer chamber 74.
[0104] Also, according to the present embodiment, the first buffer
chamber 74 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the
cross-sectional area of the third air chamber 72, and therefore the
distance in the horizontal direction from the inner wall of the
first buffer chamber 74 to the second communicating passage 73 is
shorter than the distance in the horizontal direction from the
inner wall of the third air chamber 72 to the second communicating
passage 73. For this reason, the ink inside the first buffer
chamber 74 more easily arrives at the second communicating passage
73 as compared to the ink that has flowed into the third air
chamber 72. In other words, the ink inside the first buffer chamber
74 more easily returns to the second communicating passage 73 as
compared to the ink that has flowed into the third air chamber 72.
This makes it possible to reduce the amount of ink that remains
inside the first buffer chamber 74 beyond the amount of ink that
remains inside the third air chamber 72. As a result, in a case
where ink in an amount that can be captured with the first buffer
chamber 74 flows out to the third air chamber 72 side from the
storage section 65, then the amount of ink that remains in the
first buffer chamber 74 can be reduced and therefore waste of the
ink can be mitigated.
[0105] In the first embodiment, the first buffer chamber 74 is
provided to the upstream side of the second buffer chamber 75, and
therefore ink that has overflowed from the second buffer chamber 75
can be captured with the first buffer chamber 74. This makes it
easy to even further prevent the ink inside the storage section 65
from arriving at the third air chamber 72, and therefore makes it
easy to even further avoid an event where the ink inside the
storage section 65 leaks out from the air communication port 115 to
the outside of the tank 9A.
[0106] In the first embodiment, as stated above, the first buffer
chamber 74 is located above the opening 128 in the Z-axis
direction. According to this configuration, even though, for
example, the ink might be injected to capacity up until the opening
128, the ink is less likely to advance to a position higher than
the opening 128, and therefore it is easier to avoid an event where
the first buffer chamber 74 ends up being filled with the ink. To
easily avoid the event where the first buffer chamber 74 ends up
being filled with the ink, it suffices for at least a part of the
first buffer chamber 74 to be located above the opening 128 in the
Z-axis direction. In this configuration, it is still possible to
make it easier to avoid the event where the first buffer chamber 74
ends up being filled with the ink.
[0107] In the first embodiment, the communication port 107 is
located above the upper limit mark 28 in the vertical direction.
For this reason, it is easier to avoid an event where the ink
inside the storage section 65 arrives at the communication port
107. As a result, it is easier to prevent the ink inside the
storage section 65 from flowing from the communication port 107 to
inside the second communicating passage 73, and therefore it is
easier to avoid an event where the ink inside the storage section
65 leaks out from the air communication port 115 to the outside of
the tank 9A.
[0108] In the first embodiment, the communication port 107 is
located at the upper end of the storage section 65 in the vertical
direction. For this reason, in the state where the printer 1 is
used, it is easier to prevent the ink inside the storage section 65
from flowing from the communication port 107 to inside the second
communicating passage 73. As a result, it is easier to avoid an
event where the ink inside the storage section 65 leaks out from
the air communication port 115 to the outside of the tank 9A.
[0109] In the first embodiment, the reversal section 165 is
provided to the second communicating passage 73. The second
communicating passage 73 reverses at the reversal section 165 from
an orientation going vertically downward from vertically above to
an orientation going vertically upward from vertically below. For
this reason, when the posture of the tank 9A is not turned in the
state where the ink has entered into the second communicating
passage 73 from the communication port 107, then the ink that has
entered into the second communicating passage 73 does not readily
surpass the reversal section 165 and flow back to the upstream side
of the fifth passage 155. For this reason, it is easy to even
further prevent the ink inside the storage section 65 from arriving
at the third air chamber 72.
[0110] In the first embodiment, the support sections 127 that
project out toward the sheet member 63 side from the first wall 81
of the case 61 are provided. For this reason, the sheet member 63
can be supported with the support sections 127 when, for example,
the sheet member 63 is pressed toward the first wall 81 of the case
61, i.e., toward the inside of the storage section 65. This makes
it easier to regulate flexure of the sheet member 63. As a result,
it is possible to mitigate any contraction of the capacity inside
the storage section 65 when, for example, the sheet member 63 is
pressed toward the inside of the storage section 65. For this
reason, it is easier to avoid an event where the ink inside the
storage section 65 would flow from the communication port 107 into
the second communicating passage 73 when, for example, the sheet
member 63 is pressed toward the inside of the storage section
65.
[0111] In the first embodiment, there are the plurality of support
sections 127 provided to inside the storage section 65, and
therefore it is possible to further mitigate any contraction of the
capacity inside the storage section 65 when the sheet member 63 is
pressed toward the inside of the storage section 65. For this
reason, it is easy to even further avoid an event where the ink
inside the storage section 65 would flow from the communication
port 107 into the second communicating passage 73 when, for
example, the sheet member 63 is pressed toward the inside of the
sheet member 63.
[0112] In the first embodiment, the sheet member 63 is bonded to
the bonding sections 64 provided to the support sections 127. For
this reason, positional displacement of the sheet member 63 is
easily prevented. Also, any increase in the capacity inside the
storage section 65 can be mitigated at times such as when, for
example, the pressure inside the storage section 65 becomes higher
than the atmospheric pressure.
[0113] The above embodiment illustrates an example where the tank
9A is constituted of the case 61 and the sheet member 63, but the
configuration of the tank 9A is not limited thereto. An example
where, for example, the case 61 is constituted of a plurality
members could also be employed as the configuration of the tank 9A.
Examples where the case 61 is constituted of a plurality of members
include an example where the first wall 81 of the case 61 is
constituted of another member. Further, examples where the first
wall 81 of the case 61 is constituted of another member include an
example where the first wall 81 is constituted of a sheet member
different from the sheet member 63. This example would be a
configuration where the case 61 is sandwiched between the sheet
member 63 and the other sheet member. The tank 9A can be configured
by this configuration, as well.
[0114] In the above first embodiment, it would also be possible to
employ a configuration where the depth of the first buffer chamber
74 is less on the lower side than the upper side of the first
buffer chamber 74 in the Z-axis direction, as illustrated in FIG.
11A. In the example illustrated in FIG. 11A, a slope 168 is
provided to inside the first buffer chamber 74. The slope 168 is
sloped at an orientation which increasingly approaches the sheet
member 63 side going from the upper side toward the lower side of
the first buffer chamber 74, i.e., with which the first buffer
chamber 74 becomes increasingly shallow going from the upper side
toward the lower side of the first buffer chamber 74.
[0115] According to this configuration, ink that has collected in
the first buffer chamber 74 more readily returns from the lower
side of the first buffer chamber 74 to the second communicating
passage 73, due to the action of gravity toward the lower side of
the first buffer chamber 74. At this time, when the configuration
is one where the first buffer chamber 74 is shallower at the lower
side than the upper side, the ink inside the first buffer chamber
74 more readily approaches the second communicating passage 73 at
the lower side more than the upper side of the first buffer chamber
74. For this reason, going from the upper side toward the lower
side of the first buffer chamber 74, the ink inside the first
buffer chamber 74 becomes increasingly easier to guide to the
second communicating passage 73. As a result, ink that has
collected in the first buffer chamber 74 is more readily returned
to the second communicating passage 73. This makes it possible to
even further reduce the amount of ink that remains in the first
buffer chamber 74, and therefore makes it possible to even further
mitigate waste of the ink.
[0116] As a method for causing the first buffer chamber 74 to
become shallower at the lower side than the upper side, it would
also be possible to employ, for example, a method where the slope
168 is configured so as to be stepwise, as illustrated in FIG. 11B.
A similar effect is still obtained with this configuration, too. A
configuration where the slope 168 is also provided in the second
buffer chamber 75 could also be employed. When the slope 168 is
provided to the second buffer chamber 75 as well, the amount of ink
that remains in the second buffer chamber 75 can also be further
reduced, and therefore waste of the ink can be even further
mitigated. FIGS. 11A and 11B, it should be noted, each illustrate
cross-sectional views of when the first buffer chamber 74 is cut in
the YZ plane.
Second Embodiment
[0117] A tank 9B in the second embodiment shall now be described.
In the second embodiment, configurations that are the same as in
the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals as in
the first embodiment and a detailed description thereof is omitted.
The tank 9B, as illustrated in FIG. 12, has a case 171 and the
sheet member 63. The case 171 is constituted of, for example, a
synthetic resin such as nylon or polypropylene. The tank 9B has a
configuration where the case 171 and the sheet member 63 are bonded
together. The bonding sections 64 are provided to the case 171.
FIG. 12 depicts the bonding sections 64 with hatching in order to
better illustrate the configuration. The sheet member 63 is bonded
to the bonding sections 64 of the case 171. In the present
embodiment, the case 171 and the sheet member 63 are bonded
together by welding.
[0118] The tank 9B, as illustrated in FIG. 13, has a storage
section 181 and a communicating section 183. The communicating
section 183 has a first air chamber 184, a first communicating
passage 185, a first air chamber 186, a second communicating
passage 187, and a buffer chamber 188. The ink in stored inside the
storage section 181. FIG. 13 illustrates a state where the tank 9B
is viewed from the sheet member 63 side, and depicts the case 171
with the sheet member 63 in between. The storage section 181, the
first air chamber 184, the first communicating passage 185, the
second air chamber 186, and the second communicating passage 187
are partitioned from one another by the bonding sections 64. The
buffer chamber 188 is provided to inside the second communicating
passage 187.
[0119] The case 171 has the first wall 81 through eighth wall 88,
similarly with respect to the case 61. The case 171 also has a
ninth wall 191, a tenth wall 192, an eleventh wall 193, and a
twelfth wall 194. The first air chamber 184, the first
communicating passage 185, and the second air chamber 186 are
arranged on the side opposite to the storage section 181 side from
the fifth wall 85. When the first wall 81 is seen in plan view from
the sheet member 63 side, the storage section 181 is surrounded by
the second wall 82, the third wall 83, the fourth wall 84, the
fifth wall 85, the ninth wall 191, and the tenth wall 192.
[0120] When the first wall 81 is seen in plan view from the sheet
member 63 side, then the first air chamber 184, the first
communicating passage 185, and the second air chamber 186 are
surrounded by the fifth wall 85, the sixth wall 86, the seventh
wall 87, the eighth wall 88, the ninth wall 191, and the tenth wall
192. The first wall 81 of the storage section 181 and the first
wall 81 of the first air chamber 184 and second air chamber 186 are
the same wall as one another. In other words, in the present
embodiment, the first wall 81 is shared among the storage section
181, the first air chamber 184, and the second air chamber 186. The
ink injection section 101, the supply port 113, and the air
communication port 115 are also provided to the case 171. The
places of arrangement of the ink injection section 101, the supply
port 113, and the air communication port 115 are each similar to as
in the first embodiment.
[0121] The second wall 82, the third wall 83, the fourth wall 84,
the fifth wall 85, the ninth wall 191, and the tenth wall 192 each
intersect with the first wall 81, as illustrated in FIG. 14. The
second wall 82 and the third wall 83 are provided to positions that
face each other across the first wall 81 in the X-axis direction.
The fourth wall 84 and the fifth wall 85 are provided to positions
that face each other across the first wall 81 in the Z-axis
direction. The third wall 83 intersects with each of the fourth
wall 84 and the fifth wall 85. The ninth wall 191 is located to the
side opposite to the storage section 181 side from the fifth wall
85. In other words, the ninth wall 191 is located above the fifth
wall 85 in the vertical direction. The ninth wall 191 faces the
fourth wall 84. The second wall 82 intersects with each of the
fourth wall 84 and the ninth wall 191. The tenth wall 192 is
located between the second wall 82 and the third wall 83. The tenth
wall 192 faces the second wall 82. The tenth wall 192 intersects
with each of the fifth wall 85 and the ninth wall 191.
[0122] The second wall 82, the third wall 83, the fourth wall 84,
the fifth wall 85, the ninth wall 191, and the tenth wall 192
project out to the +Y-axis direction form the first wall 81. Due to
this, where the first wall 81 is a main wall, a recess 201 is
configured by the second wall 82, the third wall 83, the fourth
wall 84, the fifth wall 85, the ninth wall 191, and the tenth wall
192 which extend in the +Y-axis direction from the main wall. The
recess 201 is configured with an orientation so as to be concave
going towards the -Y-axis direction. The recess 201 forms an
opening going toward the +Y-axis direction, i.e., toward the sheet
member 63 (FIG. 12) side. In other words, the recess 201 is
provided at an orientation so as to be concave going toward the
-Y-axis direction, i.e., toward the side opposite to the sheet
member 63 (FIG. 12) side. When the sheet member 63 is bonded to the
case 171, the recess 201 is closed off by the sheet member 63, thus
constituting the storage section 181. The first wall 81 through
eighth wall 88, the ninth wall 191, and the tenth wall 192 each are
not limited to being flat walls, and may also be ones that comprise
irregularities.
[0123] The sixth wall 86 projects out from the ninth wall 191
toward the side of the ninth wall 191 opposite to the fourth wall
84 side, i.e., toward the +Z-axis direction side of the ninth wall
191, as illustrated in FIG. 13. The seventh wall 87 projects out
from the fifth wall 85 toward the side of the fifth wall 85
opposite to the fourth wall 84 side, i.e., toward the +Z-axis
direction side of the fifth wall 85. The sixth wall 86 and the
seventh wall 87 are provided to positions facing one another across
the first air chamber 184, the first communicating passage 185, and
the second air chamber 186 in the X-axis direction. The eighth wall
88 is provided to a position facing the fifth wall 85 and the ninth
wall 191 across the first air chamber 184, the first communicating
passage 185, and the second air chamber 186 in the Z-axis
direction. The sixth wall 86 intersects with each of the ninth wall
191 and the eighth wall 88. The seventh wall 87 intersects with
each of the fifth wall 85 and the eighth wall 88.
[0124] The eleventh wall 193 and the twelfth wall 194 are provided
between the sixth wall 86 and the seventh wall 87. Between the
first air chamber 184 and the second air chamber 186, a separation
is formed in the X-axis direction by the eleventh wall 193 and the
twelfth wall 194. The eleventh wall 193 is provided to the seventh
wall 87 side more than the sixth wall 86, and faces the sixth wall
86. The twelfth wall 194 is provided to the sixth wall 86 side more
than the seventh wall 87, and faces the seventh wall 87. The
twelfth wall 194 is provided to the seventh wall 87 side more than
the eleventh wall 193.
[0125] The sixth wall 86, the seventh wall 87, the eighth wall 88,
the eleventh wall 193, and the twelfth wall 194 each project out in
the +Y-axis direction from the first wall 81, as illustrated in
FIG. 14. The sixth wall 86, the ninth wall 191, the eleventh wall
193, and the eighth wall 88, which extend in the +Y-axis direction
from the first wall 81, together constitute a recess 202. The fifth
wall 85, the seventh wall 87, the eighth wall 88, and the twelfth
wall 194, which extend in the +Y-axis direction from the first wall
81, together constitute a recess 203.
[0126] The recess 202 and the recess 203 each form an opening going
toward the +Y-axis direction, i.e., toward the sheet member 63
(FIG. 12) side. In other words, the recess 202 and the recess 203
are each provided at an orientation so as to be concave going
toward the -Y-axis direction, i.e., toward the side opposite to the
sheet member 63 (FIG. 12) side. Then, when the sheet member 63 is
bonded to the case 171, the recess 202 is closed off by the sheet
member 63, thus constituting the first air chamber 184. Likewise,
when the sheet member 63 is bonded to the case 171, the recess 203
is closed off by the sheet member 63, thus constituting the second
air chamber 186. The amounts by which the second wall 82 through
eighth wall 88 and the ninth wall 191 through twelfth wall 194
project out from the first wall 81 are set so as to be the same
amount of projection to one another.
[0127] The first communicating passage 185 is provided between the
eleventh wall 193 and the twelfth wall 194, as illustrated in FIG.
13, and forms communication between the first air chamber 184 and
the second air chamber 186. The second communicating passage 187 is
provided to the outside of the storage section 181, the first air
chamber 184, the first communicating passage 185, and the second
air chamber 186. The second communicating passage 187 forms
communication between the second air chamber 186 and the storage
section 181. A communication port 204 is provided to the eleventh
wall 193. The first air chamber 184 is communicated to the first
communicating passage 185 via the communication port 204. A
communication port 205 is also provided to the twelfth wall 194.
The second air chamber 186 is communicated to the first
communicating passage 185 via the communication port 205. The first
communicating passage 185 is meandering. The first air chamber 184
is communicated to the second air chamber 186 after meandering
through the first communicating passage 185.
[0128] The extended section 105, as in the first embodiment, is
also provided to the case 171, as illustrated in FIG. 14. In the
case 171, as well, the second communicating passage 187 is provided
to the extended section 105. In the case 171, as well, the extended
section 105 has the site 105A, the site 105B, the site 105C, and
the site 105D. Similarly to the first embodiment, the second
communicating passage 187 is configured as the groove 117 that is
provided to the extended section 105 at an orientation so as to be
concave going toward the side opposite to the sheet member 63
side.
[0129] The second communicating passage 187 has the communication
port 106 and the communication port 107, as illustrated in FIG. 13.
The communication port 106 is an opening that opens toward the
inside of the second air chamber 186. The communication port 107 is
an opening that opens toward the inside of the storage section 181.
The second air chamber 186 passes from the communication port 106
via the second communicating passage 187 through the communication
port 107 to the storage section 181. By the above, the storage
section 181 passes via the second communicating passage 187, the
second air chamber 186, the first communicating passage 185, the
first air chamber 184, and the air communication port 115 to the
exterior of the tank 9B. This means that the communicating section
183 establishes communication between the air communication port
115 and the storage section 181. The air that has flowed in from
the air communication port 115 into the first air chamber 184 flows
into the second air chamber 186 via the first communicating passage
185. Then, the air that has flowed into the second air chamber 186
flows in to the inside of the storage section 181 via the second
communicating passage 187.
[0130] As illustrated in FIG. 14, in the case 171, a recess 206 is
provided to the side of the sixth wall 86 opposite to the recess
202 side. The recess 206 and the recess 202 are lined up
sandwiching the sixth wall 86 in the X-axis direction. The recess
206 is provided at an orientation so as to be concave going toward
the side opposite to the sheet member 63 (FIG. 12) side. The recess
206 is provided to inside the groove 117. The recess 206 can also
be regarded as being a configuration with which the depth at a part
of the groove 117 is increased. When the sheet member 63 is bonded
to the case 171, the groove 117 is closed off by the sheet member
63, thus constituting the second communicating passage 187, as
illustrated in FIG. 13. Then, in the second communicating passage
187, the recess 206 is constituted as a buffer chamber 188. Herein,
the cross-sectional area of the buffer chamber 188 in the
horizontal direction (the XY plane) is wider than the
cross-sectional area of the second communicating passage 187 in the
horizontal direction (the XY plane). The cross-sectional area of
the buffer chamber 188 in the horizontal direction (the XY plane)
is narrower than the cross-sectional area of the second air chamber
186 in the horizontal direction (the XY plane).
[0131] In the tank 9B, as well, as with the first embodiment, the
sheet member 63 is bonded to the bonding sections 64 at each of the
two support sections 127. In the tank 9B, as well, as with the
first embodiment, the gap between the third wall 83 and the support
section 127A, the gap between the support section 127A and the
support section 127B, and the gap between the second wall 82 and
the support section 127B are set so as to be equal to one another.
Also, in the tank 9B, as well, as with the first embodiment, the
second communicating passage 187, as illustrated in FIG. 15, can be
sectioned into the first passage 151, the second passage 152, the
third passage 153, the fourth passage 154, the fifth passage 155,
and the sixth passage 156. Also, in the tank 9B, as well, as with
the first embodiment, the orientation of the flow path is reversed
at each of the reversal section 161 and the reversal section 165.
At each of the bend section 162, the bend section 163, and the bend
section 164, the orientation of the flow path is bent.
[0132] Also, in the tank 9B, as well, as with the first embodiment,
the buffer chamber 188 is located above the fifth wall 85 in the
Z-axis direction. For this reason, in the tank 9B, as well, as with
the first embodiment, the buffer chamber 188 is located above the
opening 128 (FIG. 7) of the ink injection section 101. Moreover, as
with the first embodiment, in order to easily avoid the event where
the buffer chamber 188 ends up being filled with the ink, it
suffices for at least a part of the buffer chamber 188 to be
located above the opening 128 in the Z-axis direction. In this
configuration, it is still possible to make it easier to avoid the
event where the buffer chamber 188 ends up being filled with the
ink.
[0133] The buffer chamber 188 is provided to the fifth passage 155
in the second communicating passage 187. The buffer chamber 188 is
arranged between the ninth wall 191 and the eighth wall 88 in the
Z-axis direction. The place of arrangement of the buffer chamber
188 is not limited to being the fifth passage 155. Any of the sites
of the first passage 151 through sixth passage 156 could also be
employed as the place of arrangement of the buffer chamber 188.
Furthermore, any of the sites of the reversal section 161, the
reversal section 165, the bend section 162, the bend section 163,
the bend section 164, and the bend section 166 could also be
employed as the place of arrangement of the buffer chamber 188.
[0134] In the tank 9B, the communication port 106 is located at the
intersection at which the seventh wall 87 and the fifth wall 85
intersect together. In another viewpoint, the communication port
106 is located at the lower end of the second air chamber 186 in
the vertical direction. The communication port 107 is located at
the intersection at which the second wall 82 and the ninth wall 191
intersect together. In another viewpoint, the communication port
107 is located at the upper end of the storage section 181 in the
vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the communication
port 107 is located below the buffer chamber 188 in the vertical
direction. The communication port 204 is located at the
intersection at which the ninth wall 191 and the eleventh wall 193
intersect together. In another viewpoint, the communication port
204 is located at the lower end of the first air chamber 184 in the
vertical direction.
[0135] As with the first embodiment, the communication port 107 is
located above the upper limit mark 28 in the vertical direction, as
illustrated in FIG. 13. The upper limit mark 28 is located below
the fifth wall 85 in the vertical direction. For this reason, the
upper limit mark 28 is located below the opening 128 of the ink
injection section 101 in the vertical direction. This makes it
easier to avoid an event where ink would surpass the upper limit
mark 28 and arrive at the opening 128 when the worker is injecting
the ink into the tank 9B from the ink injection section 101. For
this reason, it is easier to avoid an event where the ink overflows
from the ink injection section 101 when the worker is injecting the
ink into the tank 9B from the ink injection section 101.
[0136] As stated above, the ninth wall 191 is located on the side
opposite to the storage section 181 side more than the fifth wall
85. In other words, the ninth wall 191 is located above the fifth
wall 85 in the Z-axis direction. Then, the communication port 107
is located at the intersection at which the second wall 82 and the
ninth wall 191 intersect together. For this reason, the
communication port 107 is located above the fifth wall 85 in the
Z-axis direction. Herein, the opening 128 (FIG. 7) of the ink
injection section 101 is provided to the fifth wall 85, as in the
first embodiment. Accordingly, the communication port 107 is
located above the opening 128 (FIG. 7) in the Z-axis direction.
[0137] The communication port 205 is located to the eighth wall 88
side more than the intersection at which the fifth wall 85 and the
twelfth wall 194 intersect together, as illustrated in FIG. 16,
which is an enlarged view of the A section in FIG. 15. In another
viewpoint, the communication port 205 is located above a lower end
211 of the second air chamber 186 in the vertical direction.
Moreover, in the tank 9B, the communication port 205 is located to
the fifth wall 85 side more than the intersection at which the
eighth wall 88 and the twelfth wall 194 intersect together. In
another viewpoint, the communication port 205 is located below an
upper end 213 of the second air chamber 186 in the vertical
direction.
[0138] In the present embodiment, the communication port 205 is
located above a position that is raised by a distance H1 from the
lower end 211. The dimension H1 is a dimension of the communication
port 106 in the Z-axis direction. The communication port 205 is
also located below a position that has been lowered by a dimension
H2 from the upper end 213. The dimension H2 is a dimension of the
communication port 205 in the Z-axis direction.
[0139] In the second embodiment, the Z-axis direction corresponds
to a direction intersecting with the horizontal direction, the
storage section 181 corresponds to a liquid storage section, the
ink injection section 101 corresponds to a liquid injection
section, the opening 128 corresponds to a liquid injection port,
the second air chamber 186 corresponds to an air chamber, and the
communication port 107 corresponds to a connecting port. The air
communication port 115, the first air chamber 184, and the first
communicating passage 185 correspond to an air introduction system.
The second communicating passage 187 corresponds to a communicating
passage and the case 171 corresponds to a case member. The second
wall 82 and the third wall 83 correspond to two inner walls that
face one another across ribs. One among either the third passage
153 or the fifth passage 155 corresponds to a first portion and the
other among the third passage 153 and the fifth passage 155
corresponds to a second portion.
[0140] In the second embodiment, effects similar to those of the
first embodiment are also obtained. In the second embodiment, as
stated above, the communication port 205 is located above the lower
end 211 of the second air chamber 186 (FIG. 16). For this reason,
when, for example, ink has flowed in from the storage section 181
to inside the second air chamber 186 via the second communicating
passage 187, it is easy to avoid an event where the ink that has
flowed into the second air chamber 186 ends up directly arriving at
the communication port 205. In other words, the ink that has flowed
in from the storage section 181 to inside the second air chamber
186 via the second communicating passage 187 is readily stopped
inside the second air chamber 186. As a result of this, it is easy
to even further avoid an event where the ink inside the storage
section 181 leaks out from the air communication port 115 to the
outside of the tank 9B.
[0141] Also, in the second embodiment, as stated above, the
communication port 205 is located below the upper end 213 of the
second air chamber 186 (FIG. 16). For this reason, when the
vertical orientation of the tank 9B is inverted in a state where,
for example, ink has flowed in from the storage section 181 to
inside the second air chamber 186 via the second communicating
passage 187, then it is easy to avoid an event where the ink inside
the second air chamber 186 would arrive directly at the
communication port 205. In other words, even in a state where the
vertical orientation of the tank 9B has been inverted, the ink that
has flowed in from the storage section 181 to inside the second air
chamber 186 via the second communicating passage 187 is readily
stopped inside the second air chamber 186. As a result of this, it
is easy to even further avoid an event where the ink inside the
storage section 181 leaks out from the air communication port 115
to the outside of the tank 9B.
[0142] Further, in the second embodiment, as stated above, the
communication port 205 is located above the position that is raised
by the dimension H1 from the lower end 211. According to this
configuration, when, for example, ink has flowed in from the
storage section 181 to inside the second air chamber 186 via the
second communicating passage 187, it is easy to avoid an event
where the ink that has flowed into the second air chamber 186 ends
up moving along the fifth wall 85 from the communication port 106
and directly arriving at the communication port 205. In other
words, the ink that has flowed in from the storage section 181 to
inside the second air chamber 186 via the second communicating
passage 187 is readily stopped inside the second air chamber 186.
As a result of this, it is easy to even further avoid an event
where the ink inside the storage section 181 leaks out from the air
communication port 115 to the outside of the tank 9B.
[0143] Also, in the second embodiment, as stated above, the
communication port 205 is located below the position that is
lowered by the dimension H2 from the upper end 213. According to
this configuration, when the vertical orientation of the tank 9B is
inverted in a state where, for example, ink has flowed in from the
storage section 181 to inside the second air chamber 186 via the
second communicating passage 187, it is easy to avoid an event
where the ink inside the second air chamber 186 ends up directly
arriving at the communication port 205. In other words, even in a
state where the vertical orientation of the tank 9B has been
inverted, the ink that has flowed in from the storage section 181
to inside the second air chamber 186 via the second communicating
passage 187 is readily stopped inside the second air chamber 186.
As a result of this, it is easy to even further avoid an event
where the ink inside the storage section 181 leaks out from the air
communication port 115 to the outside of the tank 9B.
[0144] In the second embodiment, the ninth wall 191 is located to
the eighth wall 88 side more than the fifth wall 85, as illustrated
in FIG. 17. In another viewpoint, the ninth wall 191 is located
vertically above the fifth wall 85. In other words, the height of
the ninth wall 191 from the fourth wall 84 is greater than the
height of the fifth wall 85 from the fourth wall 84. The tenth wall
192 is provided between the ninth wall 191 and the fifth wall 85.
This configuration causes a recess 221 to be configured in the
storage section 181. The recess 221 is provided at an orientation
so as to be concave going toward the eighth wall 88 side more than
the fifth wall 85, i.e., going toward the +Z-axis direction side
more than the fifth wall 85. In the recess 221, the communication
port 107 is provided to a position that faces the tenth wall 192.
For this reason, the communication port 107 is located to the ninth
wall 191 side more than the fifth wall 85. In another viewpoint,
the communication port 107 is located vertically above the fifth
wall 85. In the second embodiment, the recess 221 corresponds to an
upper region.
[0145] As stated above, the opening 128 (FIG. 7) of the ink
injection section 101 is provided to the fifth wall 85, as in the
first embodiment. For this reason, the communication port 107 is
located above the opening 128 (FIG. 7) in the Z-axis direction.
According to this configuration, the ink inside the storage section
181 will less readily arrive at the communication port 107. For
this reason, the possibility that the ink inside the storage
section 181 could flow in to inside the second communicating
passage 187 is reduced. As a result, the possibility that the ink
inside the storage section 181 could arrive at the second air
chamber 186 can be reduced, and therefore the possibility that the
ink inside the storage section 181 could leak out of the tank 9B
from the second air chamber 186 via the first communicating passage
185 and the first air chamber 184 can be reduced.
[0146] Moreover, as illustrated in, for example, FIG. 17, it is
conceivable that when the ink is being injected from the ink
injection section 101, the liquid level of the ink inside the tank
9B could end up reaching the fifth wall 85. When the liquid level
of the ink reaches the fifth wall 85, then the ink reaches the
opening 128 of the ink injection section 101. In the tank 9B, even
in such a case, the air space is still maintained in the recess
221. When the cap 143 is implemented after injection, as
illustrated in FIG. 18, then it is believed that there will be
higher pressure inside the storage section 181 and the liquid level
of the ink will rise in the recess 221. In the tank 9B, the air
space is still present in the recess 221 even when such an event
occurs, and therefore, the risen liquid surface will less readily
arrive at the communication port 107. For this reason, compared to
the first embodiment, it is easy to even further prevent the ink
inside the storage section 181 from flowing in from the
communication port 107 to inside the second communicating passage
187. As a result of this, it is easy to even further avoid an event
where the ink inside the storage section 181 leaks out from the air
communication port 115 to the outside of the tank 9B.
[0147] In the present embodiment, the volume of the recess 221 is
greater than the volume, out of the space surrounded by the side
wall 129 of the ink injection section 101, into which the cap 143
is fitted. This makes it possible, even though the cap 143 may be
mounted in a state where the space that is surrounded by the side
wall 129 is filled to capacity with ink, to use the volume of the
recess 221 to capture the amount of ink that is pushed into the
storage section 181 by the cap 143. As a result of this, even
though the space that is surrounded by the side wall 129 may be
filled to capacity with ink, the ink inside the storage section 181
will less readily reach the communication port 107. Accordingly, it
is easy to even further prevent the ink inside the storage section
181 from flowing into the second communicating passage 187 from the
communication port 107. As a result of this, it is easy to even
further avoid an event where the ink inside the storage section 181
leaks out from the air communication port 115 to the outside of the
tank 9B.
[0148] The embodiment described above illustrates an example where
the tank 9B is constituted of the case 171 and the sheet member 63,
but the configuration of the tank 9B is not limited thereto. An
example where, for example, the case 171 is constituted of a
plurality members could also be employed as the configuration of
the tank 9B. Examples where the case 171 is constituted of a
plurality of members include an example where the first wall 81 of
the case 171 is constituted of another member. Further, examples
where the first wall 81 of the case 171 is constituted of another
member include an example where the first wall 81 is constituted of
a sheet member different from the sheet member 63. This example
would be a configuration where the case 171 is sandwiched between
the sheet member 63 and the other sheet member. The tank 9B can be
configured by this configuration, as well.
[0149] In the second embodiment described above, as well, as with
the first embodiment, the configuration where the slop 168
illustrated in FIGS. 11A and 11B has been added to the buffer
chamber 188 could also be employed. According to this
configuration, as with the first embodiment, the amount of ink that
remains in the buffer chamber 188 can also be further reduced, and
therefore waste of the ink can be even further mitigated.
[0150] In each of the embodiments above, the plurality of tanks 9
are not built into the first case 3, which covers the mechanism
unit 10. In other words, each of the embodiments above employs a
configuration where the plurality of tanks 9 are arranged on the
outside of the first case 3. A configuration where the plurality of
tanks 9 are built into the first case 3, however, could also be
employed. Below, a configuration where the plurality of tanks 9 are
built into the case shall be described, using the example of a
multifunction peripheral, which is one example of a liquid jet
apparatus.
[0151] A multifunction peripheral 500 in the present embodiment has
a printer 503 and a scanner unit 505, as illustrated in FIG. 19. In
the multifunction peripheral 500, the printer 503 and the scanner
unit 505 are stacked onto one another. In the state where the
printer 503 is used, the scanner unit 505 is located vertically
above the printer 503. Here, in FIG. 19, XYZ axes have been
assigned, which are coordinate axes that are orthogonal to one
another. XYZ axes have been assigned where necessary in the
subsequently illustrated drawings, as well. The XYZ axes in FIG. 19
confirm with the XYZ axes in FIG. 1, as do the XYZ axes in FIG. 19
and onward. In the multifunction peripheral 500, configurations
that are similar to the printer 1 are assigned the same reference
numerals as in the printer 1 and a detailed description thereof is
omitted.
[0152] The scanner unit 505 is of the flatbed-type, and has an
imaging element (not shown) such as an image sensor, as well as a
platen and a covering. Via the imaging element, the scanner unit
505 is able to read an image that has been recorded onto a medium
such as paper, as image data. For this reason, the scanner unit 505
functions as an apparatus for reading images and the like. The
scanner unit 505 is configured so as to be rotatable relative to a
case 507 of the printer 503, as illustrated in FIG. 20. A surface
on the printer 503 side of the platen of the scanner unit 505
covers the case 507 of the printer 503 and also has a function as a
covering for the printer 503.
[0153] The printer 503 is able to print onto the printing medium P
of printing paper or the like using ink, which is one example of a
liquid. The printer 503, as illustrated in FIG. 21, has the case
507 as well as the plurality of tanks 9, which are one example of a
liquid storage container. The case 507 is an integrally formed
article constituting an outer shell of the printer 503, and houses
a mechanism unit 511 of the printer 503. The plurality of tanks 9
are stored inside the case 507, and each of the plurality of tanks
9 stores ink that is supplied for printing. In the printer 503,
there are four of the tanks 9 provided. The four tanks 9 have
different types of ink from one another. The four types of black,
yellow, magenta, and cyan are employed as the types of ink in the
printer 503. There is one tank 9 provided for each of the different
kinds of ink.
[0154] The printer 503 also has an operation panel 512. Provided to
the operation panel 512 are a power source button 513, another
operation button 514, and the like. The worker who operates the
printer 503 can face the operation panel 512 and in this state
operate the power source button 513 or the operation button 514. In
the printer 503, the surface to which the operation panel 512 is
provided is understood to be the front surface. On the front
surface of the printer 503, a window section 515 is provided to the
case 507. The window section 515 is optically transparent. The four
tanks 9 described above are provided to positions overlapping with
the window section 515. For this reason, the worker is able to view
the four tanks 9 through the window section 515.
[0155] In the printer 503, the sites of each of the tanks 9 that
face the window section 515 are optically transparent. The inks
inside the tanks 9 can be viewed from the optically transparent
sites of each of the tanks 9. As such, viewing the four tanks 9 via
the window section 515 allows the worker to view the amount of ink
that is in each of the tanks 9. In the printer 503, because the
window section 515 is provided to the front surface of the printer
503, the operator can face the operation panel 512 and in this
state view each of the tanks 9 from the window section 515. For
this reason, the worker can ascertain the amount of ink remaining
in each of the tanks 9 while also operating the printer 503.
[0156] The printer 503 has the print section 41 and the supply
tubes 43, as illustrated in FIG. 22, which is a perspective view
illustrating the mechanism unit 511. The print section 41 and the
supply tubes 43 have configurations similar to those of the print
section 41 and supply tubes 43 in the printer 1, respectively. In
the printer 503, as well, as with the printer 1, the medium
conveyance mechanism conveys the printing medium P along the Y-axis
direction by driving the conveyance roller 51 using power coming
from the motor 53 (not shown). In the printer 503, as well, as in
the printer 1, the head conveyance mechanism conveys the carriage
45 along the X-axis direction by transmitting power coming from the
motor 53 to the carriage 45 via the timing belt 55. The print head
47 is mounted onto the carriage 45. For this reason, the print head
47 can be conveyed in the X-axis direction via the carriage 45, by
the head conveyance mechanism. The inks are discharged from the
print head 47 while the relative position of the print head 47 with
respect to the printing medium P is being changed by the medium
conveyance mechanism and the head conveyance mechanism, whereby
printing is performed on the printing medium P.
[0157] In each of the embodiments described above, the liquid jet
apparatus may be a liquid jet apparatus that consumes a liquid
other than an ink by ejecting, discharging, or coating with the
liquid. A liquid that trails with particles, tears, or threads is
also understood to be included as a state of a liquid that is made
into minute liquid droplets and discharged from the liquid jet
apparatus. It suffices for the liquid as referred to herein to be
such a material that can be consumed with a liquid jet apparatus.
For example, it suffices for the liquid to be a substance when the
substance is in the liquid phase, and high- or low-viscosity
liquids, sols, gel waters, and other inorganic solvents, organic
solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (molten metals),
and other liquid bodies are understood to be included. Not only
liquids in the form of one state of a substance, but also solvents
into which a functional material composed of a solid matter such as
a pigment or metal particles has been dissolved or dispersed, or
the like are also understood to be included. Representative
examples of liquids could include an ink such as was described in
the embodiments above, a liquid crystal, or the like. Herein, the
term "ink" encompasses a variety of compositions in the form of a
liquid, such as general water-soluble inks and oil-soluble inks as
well as gel inks, hot melt inks, and the like. Other specific
examples of the liquid jet apparatus may include a liquid jet
apparatus for ejecting a liquid containing, in the form of a
dispersion or solution, a material such as an electrode material or
color material that is used, inter alia, in the manufacture of
liquid crystal displays, electroluminescence (EL) displays, surface
emitting displays, or color filters. Other examples may include a
liquid jet apparatus for ejecting a biological organic matter used
to manufacture biochips; a liquid jet apparatus for ejecting a
liquid serving as a sample, used as a precision pipette; or
printing device, a micro-dispenser, or the like. Further examples
include: a liquid jet apparatus for ejecting a lubricant at pin
points for a precision machine such as a timepiece or camera; or a
liquid jet apparatus for ejecting a transparent resin solution such
as an ultraviolet curable resin onto a substrate in order to form,
inter alia, a hemispherical micro lens (optical lens) used in an
optical communication element or the like. Another example may be a
liquid jet apparatus for ejecting an acid or alkali etching
solution in order to etch a substrate or the like.
GENERAL INTERPRETATION OF TERMS
[0158] In understanding the scope of the present invention, the
term "comprising" and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended
to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated
features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but
do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements,
components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also
applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms,
"including", "having" and their derivatives. Also, the terms
"part," "section," "portion," "member" or "element" when used in
the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a
plurality of parts. Finally, terms of degree such as
"substantially", "about" and "approximately" as used herein mean a
reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the
end result is not significantly changed. For example, these terms
can be construed as including a deviation of at least .+-.5% of the
modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the
word it modifies.
[0159] While only a selected embodiment has been chosen to
illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and
modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope
of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore,
the foregoing descriptions of the embodiment according to the
present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for
the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *